Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy students to travel from Lakeview, Chicago to Vatican City for audience with Pope Leo XIV
Share this @internewscast.com

CHICAGO (WLS) — On Wednesday, a group of traveling students from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy collected their conclave costumes.

They were the very ones that captured international attention. Now, they are preparing for their journey to Rome, all the way to meet the pope.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

It was a school assignment seen around the world.

“This was just supposed to be an activity that we did for our students on a Tuesday,” said Allison Foeister, with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy.

Just days before the College of Cardinals selected Chicago native Pope Leo XIV, students at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy in Lakeview participated in a distinctive class project by organizing their own mini conclave.

“It has spiraled into something so much bigger,” Foeister said.

The viral video of the students’ mock conclave has now opened the doors to the experience of a lifetime: a general audience with the pope in Rome.

“We thought we were done with this, passed back the costumes,” Foeister said. “For us to be able to go do this, it just feels like a gift.”

Students going on the trip have been rehearsing singing the “Our Father” prayer in Latin for the papal audience in Vatican City.

On Wednesday, traveling students and staff received a special blessing.

A faithful farewell fueled excitement for a once-in-lifetime experience.

“I can’t believe I’m going to Rome to see the pope,” Tim Derov said.

“In my head I was thinking, ‘oh my gosh,'” Ines Martins said.

These students, who recreated a bit of history, now get to be a part of it.

“We’re all called to holiness, and you don’t need to be from Rome or someone extraordinary. You can attend an elementary school in Chicago and still be destined for great things,” Foeister stated.

It’s not yet clear if the students will get a chance to meet Pope Leo XIV one-on-one.

But just the trip alone, teachers say, will carry a wealth of memories, enough for a lifetime.

Copyright © 2025 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
MTG Demands Influencers Register Under FARA

MTG Calls for Influencers to Sign Up Under FARA Regulations

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) called for all social media influencers paid…
Son accused of brutally beating his mother to death with gardening tool over inheritance: police

Man Allegedly Kills Mother in Violent Attack Using Garden Tool in Dispute Over Inheritance: Authorities

A Missouri man is behind bars after authorities say he allegedly beat…
Charlie Kirk’s Mission Lives On: Why We Must Carry the Torch

Continuing Charlie Kirk’s Legacy: The Importance of Upholding His Vision

By Cliff Maloney My friend, mentor, and American visionary, Charlie Kirk, was…
Mountain bikers find missing hiker wandering wilderness in underwear

Lost hiker discovered in wilderness by mountain bikers, found wearing only underwear

A group of resourceful mountain bikers encountered a hiker missing for two…
Drunk 13-year-old crashes stolen vehicle with 11-year-old passenger inside in Arizona

Intoxicated 13-Year-Old Crashes Stolen Car with 11-Year-Old Passenger in Arizona

A drunken teen allegedly crashed a stolen vehicle with an 11-year-old passenger…
Teen charged with murder after allegedly killing two girls in deadly hit-and-run crash: prosecutor

Teen Accused of Murder After Fatal Hit-and-Run Kills Two Girls, According to Prosecutor

Two teen girls were killed in a hit-and-run incident in New Jersey…
Chicago immigration raids: Family 'unlawfully' detained by ICE at Millennium Park now separated, court filing argues

Chicago Immigration Raid: Court Documents Allege Family Detained ‘Illegally’ by ICE at Millennium Park Now Divided

CHICAGO (WLS) — The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) has taken legal…
New Bears stadium renderings released, along with report on projected cost, economic impact of Arlington Heights, Illinois project

Renderings of New Bears Stadium Unveiled, Plus Cost and Economic Impact Report for Arlington Heights, Illinois

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (WLS) — We have received initial insights into the…

Jacksonville Mother Pursues Justice Following Daughter’s Tragic Hit-and-Run Death

Shardae Webber demands justice after a vehicle struck and killed her 13-year-old…
Government shutdown live updates as impasse enters second day

Live Updates: Government Shutdown Stalemate Continues into Second Day

Late Tuesday evening, the National Park Service, a division of the Interior…
Gas explosion causes partial collapse of high-rise apartment building in New York City's Bronx neighborhood, no injuries reported

Gas Blast Triggers Partial Collapse of High-Rise in Bronx, NYC; No Reported Injuries

NEW YORK — A gas explosion erupted in an apartment building in…
UNC professor on leave over ties to far-left gun club once headlined Harvard panel on armed activism

UNC Professor on Leave Over Far-Left Gun Club Links Previously Starred at Harvard Discussion on Armed Activism

The Trump administration announced it was freezing over $2 billion in grants…